Hey all! I just wanted to let you know that this story I am writing is merely a preqel. That's right, it's a prequel. To CeaselessChasm's fan fic entitled The Niece. It's when one of Aki's friends comes to Japan. It doesn't have spoilers for this fic, other than what's (hopefully) already been made obvious.
Aki knocked on the door. After a few moments Shuichi opened it to see his band mate and little sister.
"Aki?" he asked.
"Who is it?" came a disgruntled voice from inside.
"It's my sister and Fujisaki." Shuichi answered.
"Actually, I was just escorting Aki here. I'm going now." Suguru told him before turning on his heel to leave.
"Er, just my sister." Shuichi called again.
"What does she want?" the voice asked.
"Come in Aki. I want you to meet Yuki." Shu said cheerfully. He grabbed her wrist and dragged her inside and into the living room where a blonde man was sitting on the couch. The man looked at the two for a moment.
"I told you to ask what she wants, not bring her inside." He said.
"But Yuki, she's my sister." Shuichi whined, hugging Aki.
"Well, I figured as much. You two look nearly identical. But that still doesn't mean she can be here."
"But Yuki..." Shuichi whimpered. The blonde rolled his eyes.
"Excuse me." Aki spoke up. Yuki and Shuichi looked at her. "My name is Aki. It's a great honor to have the chance to meet you Mr. Yuki." She said bowing.
"Quite the kiss-up, are we?" Yuki said. Aki blushed with embarrassment. She looked at him again.
Blonde hair, light eyes. He certainly didn't look Japanese. But she knew he was. In fact, he looked very familiar...
"Brother, I need to talk to you." She said quietly. She grabbed Shuichi's arm and dragged him outside. Yuki rolled his eyes and went back to watching TV
"What is it?" Shuichi asked once they were out of the house.
"Why didn't you tell me your lover was a famous novelist?" Aki demanded. Her brother blinked.
"I thought you didn't like those kinds of gushy romance books. How do you know who Yuki is?" he asked.
"I didn't like them until Maika started sending his books to me while I was in America. For so long I've wanted to meet the famous Eiri Yuki, and here you are, living with him without even telling me!" She shouted. Shuichi sweatdropped.
"A-Aki..." He started.
"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked, near tears.
"Ugh, Aki. Please don't throw a fit. It's not that big of a deal." Shuichi said, patting her shoulder.
"But you wouldn't even tell me who he was! I can't even trust my own brother anymore! Oh, my life is nothing! I might as well just kill myself!" She cried, suddenly producing a magnum and holding it to her head.
"Akiwheredidyougetthatgun!" Shuichi asked, panicking and trying to pry it from her hand.
"I snuck it from your manager when he wasn't looking." She answered, looking at him with an innocent face.
"Well then, you might as well shoot yourself in the head now, because he's definitely going to after he finds that you took it." Shu explained. Aki looked at him with wide eyes.
"R-really?" She asked.
"Oh yeah." Shuichi answered confidently. Aki pushed the magnum into his hands. He grinned and pocketed it.
"... You still didn't answer my question." Aki said after a moment. Shuichi looked at her. "Why didn't you tell me that you were dating Eiri Yuki?"
"You know, I haven't really thought about it that much." Her brother answered, his face becoming more serious. "It's just that... To me, he's just Yuki. He could be a famous novelist or a jobless bum, I wouldn't care. Just so long as he's Yuki." Aki cocked her head to one side with a confused look on her face. Shuichi noticed it and chuckled. "You'll get it when you're older. Let's go back inside now. I need a shower. I smell really bad!"
Aki made a face of disgust, but followed her brother inside.
"Hey Yuki! I'm taking a shower now!" Shuichi announced as he stepped inside.
"So what? Do you need help or something?" Yuki grunted from the couch.
"Yuki, my sister's here! Don't embarrass me!" Shuichi said, blushing. His face however, had a very mischievous smile on it that didn't look embarrassed at all. He then headed into the bathroom to commence his shower.
When the water had started and Shuichi's voice was filling the house with his sweet singing, Aki turned to Yuki.
"Hi." She said awkwardly. The man merely looked at her. "So... um... I'm a big fan of your novels. They're very romantic. I like them a lot."
"Yeah? You and every housewife in Japan." The man answered coldly. Aki blinked.
"R-really? Um..." She wracked her brain for something to say. It wasn't everyday she got to sit next to a famous novelist and have the chance to talk to him. Although she had hoped that he would have been a little nicer. "You really are a great author. You know, I was thinking of being a writer when I-"
"You can stop kissing my ass now; it's not getting you anywhere." Yuki cut her off. She looked surprised for a moment, but she quickly glared at him.
"I hope you don't talk to Shuichi like that." She said.
"And what if I do?" He responded.
"Look Mr. Eiri Yuki, if you hurt my brother in anyway, physically or emotionally, I will have your head in a jar on my night stand." She said with a hint of evil in her voice that sounded as if she really meant it.
"Spare me, please. I've heard that already. Look, if I wanted to hurt him, I would've done so by now. I have no reason to do anything to that damn brat. Besides, even if I killed him, his ghost would still follow me everywhere." Yuki told her. Although his voice had no audible change in it, she could tell he meant what he said.
"Yeah, yeah..." She muttered. Just then, Shuichi stopped singing and the water stopped running. The young man peeked his head into the living room but didn't come in.
"Yuki, do we have any clean towels? There aren't-" He was promptly cut off by his lover getting off of the couch, striding over to him in two seconds flat, and planting a long, passionate kiss on his lips. Aki blushed at the sight, unsure of what to do.
When Eiri pulled away, he looked at the girl, holding Shuichi at his side. Shuichi was blushing as he tried to cover himself.
"There now. Is there any more doubt you have?" He asked, a rare smile across his face. Aki shook her head.
"Hey Aki. You should call mom and dad, let them know that you're staying here overnight." Shuichi piped up, trying to get away so he could put on a towel.
"When did I say she could spend the night?" Yuki said harshly, pulling Shuichi closer.
"Because it's dark and too late for Aki to go home." Shuichi answered happily.
"Hey, don't I get a say in this?" Aki asked.
"What you don't want to be with your brother?" Shuichi asked, his eyes getting watery. Aki hung her head in guilt.
"Well if you put it that way..." She mumbled.
"Yay!" Shuichi exclaimed, finally escaping from Yuki. He left to get a towel. Yuki turned to go after him, but looked back at Aki.
"If you end up staying, just be prepared to hear... noises... tonight." He said before going off to follow the boy. Aki cocked her head to the side, wondering what he meant.
ONE PHONE CALL AND A FEW HOURS LATER!
Aki lay awake on the couch, eyes opened wide as she blushed ferociously. How could two men make so much noise? Just the moaning alone was loud enough, but the pounding... Aki wouldn't be surprised if Japan was consumed by a tsunami because of it. She suddenly understood what Eiri had warned her about.
NEXT MORNING!
Aki was awoken by someone poking her cheek.
"Uhn." She grunted, turning on her other side. She had only gotten a few hours of sleep due to the "noises" that her brother and his boyfriend had been making last night.
"Wakey wakey little sister!" Shuichi said in a hushed voice. "You're going to work with me again today."
"Five more minutes..." Aki moaned, burying her head in her pillow.
"But you have to get up." Shuichi whispered.
"Leave me alone brother!" Aki snapped, taking her pillow and whacking the man with it.
"Shhh! Yuki's still asleep." Shuichi told his sister, holding his finger to his lips.
"Sorry." Aki mumbled, sitting up groggily and rubbing her eyes.
"It's all right, just so long as you can get dressed in five minutes" Shuichi whispered. Aki nodded and went into the bathroom to change out of her brother's shirt and put on the clothes she had worn yesterday. She splashed some cold water on her face to help wake her up and went to the door where Shuichi was waiting. They left and made their way to NG studios.
"Shuichi, are you sure it's all right to take me with you?" Aki asked while they were waiting for a light.
"Of course! Why wouldn't it be?" Shuichi queried.
"Well, I'm a distraction, aren't I? I mean, I don't work there or anything and-"
"Aki, don't let what Hiro said get you down." Shuichi interrupted. "You wouldn't be a distraction. Besides, I can't take you home. Mom and Dad might still be asleep. It is Saturday after all. So there's no point in having you go home." he smiled down at her.
"Yes brother." She replied as the light changed.
MOMENTS LATER!
"Shindou-san!" Shuichi was tackled to the ground by Sakano once he and his sister had stepped inside the building. "Shindou-san, it's terrible! Absolutely terrible!" The man wailed.
"What's terrible Mr. Sakano?" Shuichi asked.
"Bad Luck... we found what's wrong. What the critics said was missing." Sakano said.
"Well that's a good thing, isn't it?" Shuichi said, attempting to push Sakano off of him.
"Not really! It requires a new member first of all, and second, Fujisaki isn't exactly thrilled over the idea!" Sakano cried, not moving from his spot on Shuichi's stomach. At this point, Aki was assisting her brother by pulling the man's arm.
"It requires a new member huh? And what could it be that would make Fujisaki upset?" Shuichi grunted, pushing with all his might and Aki pulling as hard as she could.
"According to Mr. Seguchi, Bad Luck needs... A drummer!" At the last two words, Sakano was finally dislodged and he tumbled backwards.
"Why would the addition of a drummer make Fujisaki mad?" Aki queried as the three made their way to the recording studio.
"Well, when I mentioned it, he just went off saying how his cousin doesn't know anything and that Bad Luck doesn't need any extra members." Sakano recalled. Once they had found their way to the recording studio they were greeted by a flying chair.
"And if he even thinks for one SECOND that we'll agree to such a PREPOSTEROUS idea, he doesn't know WHAT he's got coming!" It turned out to be Suguru who had thrown the chair and was now stomping around the studio in large circles. K and Hiro were hiding under a table. Shuichi wondered why K wasn't currently firing rounds with his magnum aimed at the boy, but then he remembered that he had it in his pocket after Aki had stolen it last night. He was planning on giving it to him today. But not now.
Aki cleared her throat to announce the arrival of the three. Suguru looked up, saw the girl, and immediately stopped his rampage.
"H-hello there miss Shindou." He greeted with an embarrassed blush. "Ah, please forgive my behavior just now, I was a bit worked up, you see, and-"
"That's nice." Aki cut him off, walking into the studio and placing a hand on his shoulder. Hiro and K stared at her from under the table as if she were about to commit suicide. "Now why don't you just sit down and tell me why you don't want an extra band member." She said soothingly, sitting him down in a random chair.
"It's just that... It's not so much the idea of a new member that bugs me, but the fact that we need an extra instrument. It's like Mr. Seguchi doesn't think I can do it on my own. I can create the beat just fine without the help of a drum set." The boy said calmly enough to make Hiro and K crawl out of their hiding spots.
"That's not true!" Sakano spoke out, turning attention to him. "Mr. Seguchi told me himself. He said that sometimes it's just not the same without the real thing. It's not about how talented the synth player is, it's how the music feels."
"He's got a point, you know." Hiro piped up, "I mean, I've heard more Nittle Grasper songs than I can count, and I've heard how Tohma and Noriko have added the sound of a guitar into the mix. But in my opinion, it doesn't compare to the real guitar in our songs."
"Yeah!" Shuichi shouted in agreement.
"So Suguru, have you changed your opinion yet?" Aki asked him, removing her hand from his shoulder. He looked at his folded hands in his lap.
"I guess you guys have a point." He admitted with reluctance.
"Good. Now that that's settled, I'll be happy to fill the position as the drummer for Bad Luck!" Aki announced cheerily. Everyone looked at her like she was crazy.
"Hell no you won't." Hiro said. "We've already had this discussion Aki. Besides, you don't know how to play the drums."
"Shows how much you know Hiro. I played drums in America. I was even in a band with Aurora. Sure it was the school jazz band, but it was still a band!" Aki retorted.
"Well then, let's see what you can do." K said, handing the girl a pair of drumsticks and pointing a drum set in the corner of the studio.
"When did that get there?" Shuichi wondered aloud.
"I had it brought in earlier. We were going to announce auditions later today and had to be prepared for the early comers." Sakano said. Shuichi responded with a small nod.
"All right!" Aki exclaimed, already behind the set and twirling the sticks between her fingers "Let's see what this baby can do!"